Projector Icon Design Tutorial

Lets Get Started

Create a new document (Ctrl + N) 800 x 600 pixels with any colored
background. Right-Click the "Background Layer" and select "Layer From
Background" from the fly out menu, doing this will enable you to add
layer styles to your background layer. Once the background layer is
editable add a gradient overlay using the settings below.

Creating The Projector Top

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" with a radius of 20px, make sure
the path type is set to "Shape Layers".

Drag out a rectangle onto your canvas.

Once you've dragged out the rectangle go to "Edit > Transform >
Skew", skew the shape like the image below.

Once you've skewed the shape go to "Edit > Transform > Warp",
once you've selected the warp tool drag the middle and bottom of the
shape so the top and bottom edges curve up.

You should end up with something like this.

Label your shapes layer "Top" then add the following layer styles.

You should have something like this.

Making The Projector Top 3D

Duplicate the "Top" layer, drag it underneath the original layer then
label it "Top Bottom". Right click the duplicated layer and go to
"Clear Layer Styles", once you've cleared the layer styles move the
shape down a couple of times until you have something like this.

Select the "Rectangle Tool" (U), then click the shapes path whilst
holding down the "Ctrl" key on the keyboard.

Quick Tip:

When you click the shape whilst holding down the Ctrl key the shape
selection is represented by a black 1px stroke with black anchor points.

Change the path type to "Add To Shape Area".

Now hold down the shift key and make a square on the left side of the
shape so we get a nice straight edge joining to the top shape.

Repeat the above step for the other side of the shape. You should now
have something like this.

To your "Top Bottom" layer add the following layer styles.

You should have something like this.

Creating The Projector Body

Select the "Rounded Rectangle Tool" (U) with a radius of 20px then
drag our a rectangle underneath your other shapes. Once you've dragged
out the rectangle label the layer "Body" and drag it to the bottom of
the stack above your background layer. So that the body sort of matches
the contours of the top go to "Edit > Transform > Warp", drag the
middle bottom square on the warp tool and drag downwards a touch so that
the base of the body is nicely rounded.

Now we have the basic shape for our body lets add some layer styles.

You should have something like this.

Right-Click the "body" layer and go to "Convert To Smart Object".

Quick Tip:

Smart Objects are layers that contain image data from raster or
vector images, such as Photoshop or Illustrator files. Smart Objects
preserve an image's source content with all its original
characteristics, enabling you to perform nondestructive editing to the
layer.

Once you've converted the "Body" layer to a smart object add some
noise. Go to "Filter > Noise > Add Noise", use the settings below.

Creating The Projector Lens

Select the "Circle Tool" (U) then drag out a big circle on layer
above all the rest, label the layer "Lens Big".

Once you've made the circle add the following layer styles.

Select the "Circle Tool" (U) again and make another circle inside the
bigger circle but abit smaller. Do not place the new circle in the
center of the bigger circle, place it towards the bottom. Finally label
the new circle "Lens Bigger Inner".

Now add a gradient overlay to your new circle layer using the
settings below.

Still with the "Circle Tool" (U) create another smaller circle inside
inside of the black lens. Label your new circle layer "Pink Lens".

Now add the following layer styles to your "Pink Lens" layer.

You should have something like this.

Finally we need to create one more circle which will be the lens
shine. Grab the "Circle Tool" (U) then create a small white circle at
the top of the pink lens.

Label your white circle layer "Lens Shine" then add a layer mask to
the layer. Drag a linear gradient from the bottom of the lens upwards
until you have something like this.

Detailing The Body

Select the "Pen Tool" (P) with the color black (#000000) set as your
foreground, draw a line near the top of the body from side to the other
side. Once you've drawn one line duplicate it and nudge it down 1px.
Change the color of the duplicate line to white (#ffffff) then merge the
two line layer together and set the layer blend mode to "Overlay".

Duplicate the lines layer then nudge the duplicated layer down a
couple of times, you should have something like this.

Next, select the "Circle Tool" (U) and create a small circle on the
left side of the body.

Now add the following layer styles to your circle.

Now duplicate the circle 5 times, move 3 of the circles to the right
leaving 3 of the circles on the left side of the projector body. Nudge
the circles down so all the circles are staggered.

Creating The Projector Shadows

Duplicate the "Top Bottom" layer then shift it down a couple of
pixels. Right-Click the duplicated "Top Bottom" layer then go to "Clear
Layer Styles", Righ-Click once more and go to "Rasterize Layer". Now
blur the layer by 2px using the guassian blur "Filter > Blur >
Guassian Blur".

Next, duplicate the "Body" layer then rename the duplicated layer
"Body Shadow". Drag the new layer underneath the original then
Right-Click and go to "Clear Layer Styles", Righ-Click once more and go
to "Rasterize Layer". Nudge the "Body Shadow" layer down a couple of
times then blur it by 2px using the guassian blur "Filter > Blur >
Guassian Blur". Finally set the opacity to 50%.

Conclusion

You should now be able to resize the image and use it as an icon.

That's it you've completed the tutorial. Thanks for reading, if
you've finished the tutorial I'd love to see your results.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! Im Richard Carpenter and Im a Freelance Web and Graphics Designer from England. I am also a Regular Blogger, Tutorial Writer, and owner of Photoshop Plus. Photoshop Plus is his 2nd personal blog about all things photoshop. On a weekly basis he write tutorials, articles and freebies.